RallyNorth.net

Disappointment marks Whittier's season ender

BYFIELD – In a Division 4 North semifinal matchup between a pair of veteran contenders, the experience for Danvers proved to be a bit more of the big-game variety.

The defending state champion and top-seeded Falcons shot their way past third-seeded Whittier last night and into the sectional final with a 69-51 victory at Triton High School.

Both teams started four seniors, but the Danvers quartet won six games en route to last year’s state title, whereas the Wildcats entered this postseason with just one sectional victory to their credit the previous three years.

“We were confident (entering the game),” said four-year starter Ryan Grant, whose first season also coincided with the arrival of coach Tom Sipsey. “We believed in what we practiced and what the coach preached. We just went out there and played our hardest.”

The Wildcats (21-4) hung tough despite a 4-minute scoreless spell in the second quarter that propelled Danvers (21-2) into a 30-15 advantage with 1:50 left in the opening half. Whittier, however, used a put back from Nathan Frongillo, a jumper from Grant and four points from Justin Reyes to cut the deficit to nine entering intermission.

The biggest of those buckets was a 55-foot heave from Reyes at the buzzer.

“It was tough, but we had to go out there and keep playing,” said an obviously disappointed Grant, who finished with 18 points. “It was the end of the year, but we had to keep doing what we do.”

Instead of riding that momentum, though, it was Danvers that came out smoking in the third. A 14-1 run over the first 3 minutes featured five field goals and a free throw that gave the Falcons an insurmountable 47-25 lead.

In his four seasons, Grant became Whittier’s unquestioned leader. His scoring decreased this year but the point guard might have had his most complete season directing the offense. Before he and Sipsey arrived, the Wildcats had gone 17-43 the previous three years. In their four years together, the program was 64-24 (a .727 winning percentage).

 “When we lost (in the playoffs) my freshman year, it meant nothing to me,” Grant said. “When we lost after my sophomore year, it meant nothing to me. My junior year it meant a little more to me. But now I really feel the (disappointment).

“There’s nothing that compares with Whittier basketball. It’s a program by Tom Sipsey. He was there when I was a rookie. He taught me how to play defense.”

The other three seniors – Reyes, Frongillo and Andrew Wells – also matured considerable the past three years, but maybe none as much as Reyes, who finished with a game-high 24 points before fouling out last night with 2:53 left.

“This is something that has built me to be the man I am today,” said Reyes, who also had 15 rebounds and four blocked shots. “I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. It didn’t turn out as well as we hoped and expected, but it’s time to move on.”